Bridget Goldschmidt, LISP 2025 Flash Fiction Finalist, 'Cojimar'

Could you please tell us about yourself and your daily routine?

My day job is as an editor and writer for a trade magazine. I work from home.

When and how did you start writing?

I began making up stories when I was very young, before I could even write. I would dictate them to my mother to send to a U.S. children’s magazine called Highlights. They always got rejected. Later, I earned a master of fine arts in creative writing. Even then, I was drawn to writing extremely short stories.

How frequently do you write? Do you have a writing routine? And what inspires you to write?

Since I write professionally during the week, I try to write creatively, or at least edit or submit my creative work, on Sundays. I’m inspired by things that happen in my life or things I’ve heard about — I love other peoples’ stories as well as my own.

How does it feel to have your work acknowledged, whether through being a finalist in a competition or having it published?

It feels like vindication of a sort, that my work is worth reading, and that other people might enjoy it or get something out of it. Also, of course, it’s always nice to be recognized for being good at something.

What's the most rewarding and challenging aspect of writing a story?

It’s always difficult to get what you’ve imagined on the page intact, and when you can do that, it’s immensely rewarding.

How did you come up with the idea for your LISP-selected story? Is there a story behind your story? And, how long have you been working on it?

About 10 years ago, I visited Cuba, and Hemingway was an omnipresent figure, even though he had been dead for decades. I grew interested in his relations with the Cuban people, and how they kept his legend alive not just for tourism purposes, but also out of some pride that an internationally famous writer would come to live there.

Please share a few tips on writing stories.

Don’t give up, even when you get negative feedback. Try to absorb as much of it as possible and decide how much of it is warranted and how much is because whoever is reading your work is trying to turn it into something they would write. For many years, I found it hard to deal with the constant rejection involved in sending stories to literary magazines and competitions, but I become better at it over the years.

What are the best and the most challenging aspects of competitions?

The best is getting recognition and exposure for your work. The worst is not being chosen, but you can always try again somewhere else.

Finally, would you recommend that the writers consider submitting to LISP?

Yes. They should submit work they feel strongly about and want to share with others.